


...and a Happy New Year!

by CelestialBronze



Series: Miraculous Holidays [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Needs a Hug, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Crying, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Reveal, New Year's Eve, One Shot, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:47:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22057270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelestialBronze/pseuds/CelestialBronze
Summary: Sequel to Have a Merry Christmas...Marinette is having a New Year's party with her friends, and everything is going smoothly until Adrien runs out, on the brink of tears. Can Marinette get over her crush on Adrien and comfort him? Will she find something else that will change her life forever?
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Sabine Cheng/Tom Dupain
Series: Miraculous Holidays [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1580116
Comments: 4
Kudos: 118





	...and a Happy New Year!

**Author's Note:**

> This really taught me how much fic writers work to crank out huge fics that are like 100k words in months, like dang...  
> Anyways, this is a sequel to a shorter one-shot I made during Christmas. You can read this separately, aside from one plot item that's very important to the fic. I suggest you read the Christmas one first, as it's only 3k words and sets this one up. Hope you enjoy!

“ _ Marinette! Could you come down and help me with the cookies, please! _ ”

“Yes, maman, coming right down!”

Marinette and her family were preparing for their New Year’s party and subsequent sleepover they were hosting this year. After weeks of Marinette begging her parents to throw one ( _ Papa, please? Are you sure this isn’t just to get Adrien to spend New Year’s with you? No, maman! _ ), they relented, and made sure to go all out. There were wreaths everywhere, with a giant banner in their living room reading  _ Happy New Year’s! _ and the couches pushed back so everyone could see the Champs-Élysées together.

The family had invited the Césaires, the Lahiffes, and the Agrestes, seeing as how they were Marinette’s closest friends this year, the children being allowed to stay the night. As expected, Gabriel Agreste and Nathalie, his assistant, couldn’t come. Tom and Sabine had never liked them much anyway, noticing how Adrien looked whenever anyone mentioned them in a conversation. Instead, Adrien and his bodyguard would be representing the Agrestes, which was perfectly fine with everyone invited.

As Marinette rushed downstairs to help her mother, she started to hum a bright tune, clearly overjoyed about the party soon to occur. All of her friends celebrating the new year together, the little children running around the house, the adults conversing and chuckling over a hearty dinner, the teenagers holed up in Marinette’s room laughing their hearts out over delightful conversations, Adrien moving closer to her, taking her hand as they watch the Champs-Élysées light up, kissing her as the party cheers around them…

Marinette shook her head.  _ Adrien’s just a friend at this party!,  _ she chided herself. She wanted Adrien to have a great time, as at school, he mentioned loving the holidays, but usually spending it alone. That comment had broken Marinette’s heart, so she swore to herself that she would give him the best New Year’s party ever, even above all of her stuttering and fumbling.

She reached the bakery kitchen on the lowest floor, opening the door and bathing in the sweet scent of the treats. She closed her eyes and took a huge sniff, smiling as the sugary smell hit her nose. Sabine chuckled when she saw her daughter, basking in sweets, clearly filled with joy.

“Come on, help me with these cookies,” she said lightly, gesturing to the boatload of cookie batter in front of her. Marinette sighed happily, then opened her eyes and practically bounced over to the batter. “Let’s do this!” she cried out, taking a mixing spoon and a cookie plate and started pouring.

As they worked, Marinette’s thoughts started drifting to memories of last week, where Chat and her had exchanged presents on Christmas. From what he had told her, he didn’t really have anyone to spend the holidays with. She worried that he would spend New Year’s alone, curled up in a bed. She didn’t want him to suffer through the holidays without anyone to celebrate them with.

After that thought, however, she remembered what he had done on Christmas, spreading cheer to the local citizens of Paris. What was she thinking? Chat would probably spend New Year’s on top of the Champs-Élysées itself, hollering out the countdown in excitement with the entire mass on the ground. She giggled to herself at the thought, of Chat in front of millions, waving his hands around in excitement of the new year. She then realized she was giggling about Chat, and quickly stopped herself.

Something had changed recently between her and Chat. For the past few months, whenever they had interacted past an akuma battle, something inside her would flutter slightly, and she had started to blush at his romantic antics. His flirting would make her feel jumpy inside, and his touches would leave a burning area in her skin. She had started to think of him in her regular life, to the point where some days, Chat would be on her mind more than Adrien. She wasn’t sure what was happening between her and her kitty, or what it would become.

She didn’t have to think about that for a while, though. Right now, she could focus on the party, and making it the best possible experience for her friends, especially Adrien. Lost in thought, she didn’t realize that she had poured out all of the batter into the plate, and was about to pour some on the counter when Sabine called out, “Marinette!”

Marinette snapped out of her thoughts, jerking her hand back to prevent the batter from spilling. “Sorry, maman! I wasn’t paying attention!”

“Hmm,” Sabine queried, “were you daydreaming about Adrien again, dear?”

Marinette grew hot under the question. “Maman!” she shrieked, her face turning an assortment of reds. Sabine laughed at her embarrassment, putting the cookies into the oven. “Make sure to come back to ice these,” she said, then waved Marinette off. She complied, rushing up the stairs back to her room.

Tikki flew out of her pocket as she ran up the stairs, following Marinette’s fast pace. “Are you excited for tonight, Marinette?” she chirped, flying rings around the rushing girl’s head.

Marinette giggled, reaching a door on the top level and opening it. “Of course, Tikki!” she replied, making her way up the ladder in the room that led to her bedroom. “It’s my first New Year’s Party here, with all of my friends! What could be better?”

She climbed through the trapdoor, closing it behind her. “Are you sure it’s not just because Adrien gets to start the new year with you?” Tikki teased, settling down on the lounge while Marinette crashed on the chair. 

“Not you, too!” Marinette groaned. She put her hands on her face in exasperation and leaned back. 

“It’s true, though, isn’t it?” Tikki remarked. “Even if it’s not the way you want it, it’s so sweet of you to help Adrien not feel alone through New Year’s.”

Marinette’s hands fell down to her sides, and she sighed. “Yeah, I’m glad he’ll be surrounded by his friends today. At least I can make one blond boy in my life happy during the holidays.” She gazed out the window, thinking of Chat Noir, while playing with the necklace he had given her, which she hid under her shirt due to the risk of her identity but had never taken off.

Tikki rolled her eyes, out of Marinette’s view.  _ I don’t think it’s just Adrien who’ll be happy tonight _ , she thought, smiling as Marinette was whisked away into more daydreams of Adrien and Chat Noir. Even through the barriers of their secret identities, Marinette was bringing more joy to both sides of Adrien during the holidays than he’d experienced in a long time. Tikki snuggled into the lounge, waiting for the party and to see Plagg after so long. And who knows? Maybe the two superheroes will enjoy the parties in more ways than one.

~~~

Adrien sighed. He was lying on his bed, face up with the Ladybug doll he had gotten for Christmas in his outstretched hands. He gazed at the doll, remembering the fond moments when they had exchanged presents. Her reaction to the necklace, the way she let out a little gasp at the sight of it, the tight, warm, bone-crushing hug she had given him after his brief stint of forlornness. Even at his worst, his lady always knew how to cheer him up and make him feel better.

“Hey, loverboy, we got a party to get ready for,” Plagg said, floating up from his hiding place inside Adrien’s bedside table, a piece of Camembert in his hands.

“Just a moment, Plagg,” Adrien replied dreamily, still lost in the memories of Christmas.

“Adrien, you’ve been staring at that thing for twenty minutes now,” Plagg chided. “It’s literally just a doll of Ladybug, and you’ve been obsessed with it for a week.”

“But Plagg,” Adrien murmured, “she made it for me! She made something herself, just for me…”

“Get over it,” Plagg said, drifting over to the sports bag on Adrien’s desk chair. “Pack your bag and let’s go already!” The kwami went underneath the bag and supported its weight, carrying it to Adrien. The bag was much bigger than him, however, so Plagg completely disappeared from sight, leaving the bag looking like it was flying over to Adrien itself, which made him laugh, at least until Plagg shoved the bag in his face.

“Alright, alright!” Adrien said crossly, Plagg crossing his arms in a moment of victory. “What’s got you so excited for the party, anyway?”

Knowing that he couldn’t tell Adrien about Tikki, Plagg ad-libbed an excuse. “Well, we are going to a bakery, aren’t we? How much cheese can I eat until they notice something’s up?”

“Plagg,” Adrien droned, getting up from the bed and walking towards his closet, bag in hand, “you will not go and eat all of Marinette’s cheese, okay? That’s very inconsiderate and they’ll probably shut down the bakery because they think you’re a rat. Actually, that’s not too far off.”

Plagg stuck his tongue out at Adrien. “What, defending your girlfriend now, huh?” he smirked. Adrien blushed deeply, stammering, “Wha- I don’t- she’s not- I like Ladybug!”

“Sure, keep telling yourself that,” Plagg drawled, zipping back into his lair inside the bedside table. “You know, people can have two crushes at once.”

The heat spread to Adrien’s ears, who shook his head, picking out clothes for the sleepover. Marinette used to be an incredibly shy girl, someone who couldn’t even talk to him without stuttering. She was one of his best friends, sure, but he couldn’t imagine dating anyone but Ladybug. 

Over time, however, her shyness vanished, showing the brave, confident person she hid inside more and more. She started speaking complete sentences to Adrien, going so far as to tease him occasionally. The display of confidence gave Adrien butterflies in his stomach, the same butterflies he got when Ladybug returned his flirtatious remarks. 

He started to see Marinette in a different light, one more red and pink than a simple black and gold. He started to blush whenever she poked fun, and laughed giddily at her jokes. He was committed to Ladybug, he told himself after every interaction, but he started to believe that less and less. Of course, Ladybug would always hold a place in his heart, but maybe Marinette could reside in another part.

He shook his head.  _ Focus on packing _ , he told himself,  _ then you won’t have to worry about these feelings _ . Maybe it was a cop-out, but as long as it worked for now, he was fine with it. Finished with his choice of pajamas and clothes, he head on over to the bathroom and changed into some decent clothing. He tossed the pajamas into the bag, placing a charger for his phone, an emergency blanket, a bag of Camembert for Plagg, and his Ladybug doll in as well. If anyone sees it, they’ll just think he’s a fanboy, not a superhero whose partner stitched a present for him by hand. He still couldn’t get over that fact.

Adrien walked over to Plagg, intent on coaxing him out, when he saw the bracelet his mother had given him on his desk again. After Christmas, he had taken it off, but made sure to keep it in sight, as the bracelet was a slight reminder of some occasional happy memories as well. A sad smile spread across his face, and he put the accessory in the bag, keeping the memory of his mother close to him. “Come on, Plagg,” he called out, heaving the bag over his shoulder and walking outside, where Gorilla waited to take them to the party.

~~~

The Césaires were the first to arrive at the Dupain-Cheng household. A light breeze had kicked up, sending snow flurrying everywhere. The family of six was bundled up, the little twin sisters shivering slightly anyhow. At the ring of the doorbell, Marinette, who was in the kitchen gathering the cookies she and her mother had created, stopped and turned towards the door. She peered through the peephole, and at the sight of Alya, grinned widely and opened the door. “Come on in!” she chirped excitedly, leading the large family into the bakery part of the house. The twins shook off their coats quickly and started running about, while the rest took their time as to be polite.

“Marinette!” Alya shouted, wrapping her arms around her best friend. “Girl, it’s so good to see you!”

The bluenette laughed, returning the hug. “You too, Alya! How’s your break been?”

“Oh, you know, the usual. Family gone wild, sisters screaming all over the place, but still managing to have an amazing Christmas,” Alya replied, releasing the hug. Her voice dropped in volume a little bit, and she stage-whispered, “I did spend some quality time with Nino, though. The highlight of my break!”

“Ooh la la!” Marinette teased, her eyes growing mischievous. “Getting frisky in the snow season, are we?” she lilted.

A light blush filled Alya’s cheeks. “Oh, it’s nothing you wish Adrien wouldn’t do to you, hmm?” she countered, victoriously walking over to the stairs as Marinette turned red. “H- hey, wait up!” she called, hurrying to catch up while the rest of Alya’s family followed.

The group walked up to the second floor and entered the living room/kitchen, finding themselves awash in party decorations and smells from the incoming dinner being created. Tom was at the sink, cleaning a few cooking utensils, when he saw the Césaires and Marinette enter the room.

“Welcome!” he bellowed, putting down the utensils and walking towards the family. “Come, this way.” He beckoned the family to the gathering area, calling out over his shoulder, “Marinette, you and Alya can go get the cookies from downstairs.”

“Right away, papa!” Marinette answered, pulling Alya back downstairs. They approached the counter where the cookies were laid out and started placing them on a tray one by one. “Dang, girl,” Alya remarked, “you put in work for these cookies!” She picked one up, surveying it from all angles. “You even iced it so it says the year! How long did these take?”

Marinette laughed. “Oh, not that long. After living in a bakery for years, you pick up on a thing or two.” She put the last of the cookies on the tray and started heading upstairs. 

“So, what’s the plan?” Alya questioned. She followed the bluenette with a tray of her own, carefully prodding up the flight of stairs to make sure the cookies didn’t fall.

“Us four can hang out in our room until dinner, then we stay downstairs for an hour until the countdown finishes, and then we can get ready for the sleepover.”

“Say, how did you manage to get Adrien to sleepover?” Alya wondered. “If his dad wouldn’t even let him go to school for years, how did he agree to an overnight stay?”

Marinette furrowed her brow. “I’m not entirely sure,” she replied. “I guess he must’ve been in the holiday spirit or something.”

“All the better for us!” Alya smiled, the two handing their trays to Tom before retiring to Marinette’s bedroom. There, they relaxed, lying on the floor, when Marinette shot up. “The pictures!” she shrieked, before racing up her bed ladder to her bulletin board.

Alya, confused, peered up at her until she understood what had sent Marinette into a frenzy. “Riiight, you wouldn’t want Adrien to see your thousands of pictures of him, would you?” she chuckled, watching in amusement. Marinette, too busy grabbing photos, chose not to answer.

Just then, the trap door creaked open, indicating someone was entering. Marinette squealed, saying panickedly, “No, no, no, no! Not yet!” Nino popped his head up, a confused expression on his face. “Why did I hear a blood-curdling scream two stories down?” he asked.

Marinette sighed in relief, then continued scrapping all the photos. Alya chuckled, standing up and walking to Marinette’s desk. “Oh, Marinette’s just worried Adrien will realize she ogles him. You know, like this.” She wiggled the mouse on Marinette’s keyboard, revealing a screensaver with a lot of pictures of Adrien and even more pictures of hearts.

“ALYA!” Marinette squeaked in betrayal, then rushed over to the computer, dumping all of her photos on the desk, and began to furiously try to change the screensaver. Nino, now entirely in the room, continued, “Well, you better hurry, because I heard the doorbell ring on my way here.” The mouse clicking sped up.

Nino threw his bag on the floor, sitting promptly down. He then glanced at Alya, asking, “Where’s your bag?” 

“I sleep over here so often I pretty much have my own closet space,” Alya smirked. She then started crawling towards Nino, about to pounce on him like a cat. “It’s been a while, Nino. How’ve you been?” she asked sultrily. 

A mischievous smile popped up on Nino’s face, moving closer towards Alya. “Well, I’m better now…” he grinned, lifting a finger to his girlfriend’s chin and raising her gaze to meet his.

“GET A ROOM THAT ISN’T MINE!” Marinette shouted, still attempting to change her background. “Yeah, guys,” Adrien popped in, “I didn’t come here to watch you two make out all night.” Two heads swiveled towards him, the third pumping her fist when the background of the computer switched to a neutral, calming sea. After her victory, Marinette walked over to her trapdoor, offering Adrien a hand to pull him up, which he gladly accepted. “Welcome, Adrien!” she chirped, a bright smile appearing on her face.

“Thanks, Marinette!” the boy replied, wearing a smile just as big. The two stood there for a couple of seconds, hands in the other’s, until Adrien realized he also had a bag he needed to put down. With a slight flush, Adrien let go of Marinette and threw his bag over, rubbing the back of his neck. Nino and Alya, both with raised eyebrows, looked at each other after surveying what had just happened. “Talk about getting a room, huh?” Alya whispered, causing Nino to snicker. Marinette was close enough to hear, and shot Alya a glare before setting a smile back on her face towards Adrien. 

“Your family’s so nice, Marinette! Thank you so much for inviting me,” Adrien breathed, the familiar butterflies rising in his stomach again. Marinette giggled, eyes shining. “Of course, Adrien. I’m so glad you’re here.”

Alya coughed, standing up, and gestured towards the two. “Alright, enough gibber-gabber,” she affirmed. “It’s time to get this party started.”

Adrien’s eyes lit up at the thought of being in a party, while Nino and Marinette exchanged glances with a touch of fear. They knew from experience that whenever Alya commandeered a party, things would always get intense.  _ Poor Adrien, _ Marinette thought.  _ He has no idea what he’s about to get into. _

~~~

They had vastly underestimated Adrien’s party abilities.

Currently, they were playing truth or dare, and it was Nino’s turn. Adrien had just gotten a truth, and told a very long, intricate story about how he sharted his pants when he was five. Alya was of course howling with laughter, while Marinette was fascinated by Adrien, and, surprisingly, Nino was the most disgusted. The poor boy looked like he was about to throw up.

“The doctor fetched my pants from the trash can, and the rest was history!” Adrien finished, looking very pleased with himself. Alya was pounding the floor at this point, unable to contain herself. “Adrien, my friend, you truly are a wolf in sheep’s clothing! Where’d you learn to party like this?” she guffawed.

“I like the term lion in a kitten’s clothing,” Adrien grinned. “And when you’re trying to befriend a class whose been together for 10 years or so, you learn to lose your shame. I’m sure you understand.”

“Oh, you bet,” Alya wheezed, finally getting under control. After her last few giggles, she cleared her throat and tried to speak as normal as she could. “So, Adrien, who’s your next target?”

“Hmmm…” Adrien scoured the room, looking for a victim until his eyes landed on his best friend. A smile that attempted to feign evil appeared on his face, and he pointed towards Nino. “Truth or dare, Nino?”

Fear splashed on Nino’s face as he tried to decide to be embarrassed physically or emotionally. “Dare,” he settled with a sigh, preparing himself for his task.

“I was hoping you’d say that.” Adrien scratched his chin, pretending to be lost in thought. “How about… you have to be tickled by someone in this room for a solid, and we decide using a coin flip?”

“Ooh, risk! I like your style, Agreste!” Alya interjected. She faced Nino with a wicked smile. “Let’s hope it turns in my favor, darling,” she drawled. 

Nino’s fear level shot up. Marinette would never go too far with tickling him, and Adrien was too nice to torture him. But Alya, she wouldn’t hold back. She’d pin him down and start running her fingers down his body, leaving him no choice but to endure every second of the tickling… He gulped, saying weakly, “Let’s get this over with, please.”

Marinette brought over a coin from her desk and sat back down. “Alright, Adrien,” she said, facing him, “head I win, tails I lose.” She flicked the coin up, watching it land on the ground after a few spins. Tails.

Adrien picked the coin up. Before he could say anything, Alya called out, “Heads I win, tails won't happen!” Adrien chuckled and threw the coin up. Heads. Nino’s breath hitched as Alya smirked. “Told ya.”

She grabbed the coin and looked towards Marinette. The bluenette shrugged, saying reluctantly, “I stand no chance, but heads.” 

“Atta-girl,” Alya replied, tossing up the coin. It spun much longer than the others, putting Nino on edge. The coin finally stopped moving, the face up being… 

“Better watch out, Nino, cause I’m coming for you,” Alya laughed, crawling towards him not unlike how she did when he first got here, except this time love was replaced with fear.

Adrien held out his phone, which displayed a timer. “One minute!” he called out. “Ready, set, go!”

For Alya, that minute ran out far too soon, but for Nino, it couldn’t come fast enough. By the end, he was begging, albeit laughing his brains out, and when the alarm rang, he grabbed Alya in a hug, pinning her arms to the side. “Just know whatever you do to me, I’ll get you back for soon…” he whispered into Alya’s ear, sending a pleasant shiver down her spine. She may have unleashed a beast, but she regretted nothing.

“Okay, lovebirds, break it up. This is a family-friendly party tonight,” Marinette said, gesturing for them to move apart. Alya moved back to her spot, a permanent smile plastered onto her face. Nino still had a hint of red on his face from all the tickling, silently annoyed at being broken apart from his girlfriend. A sinister thought appeared in his head, and he laughed inwardly before replying, “Truth or dare, Marinette?”

She smirked, thinking that he would want a truth so he could oust her crush on Adrien. “Dare,” she said with confidence. That confidence crumbled, however, when she saw a flash of victory in Nino’s eyes.

“I dare you,” he challenged, “to kiss Adrien,” after which he said the three words that would spell out her death sentence, “On. The. Lips.”

Alya let out a gigantic “OHHH” while Marinette sat frozen still and Adrien turned extremely red. Nino did a mental fist-pump.  _ That’ll teach her to break apart me and Alya _ , he thought to himself. Besides, it would be good for both of them.

He definitely knew about Marinette’s crush on Adrien, from years prior. He’d also noticed Adrien becoming shyer and more nervous during his encounters with Marinette. Maybe this could be the tipping point that would finally bring his friends together.

Adrien was stammering now, his face a light crimson. “Y- you don’t have to do it, Marinette! It’s okay, i- if it makes you uncomfortable, it’s fine, I understand-“

He never got to finish his sentence, as his mouth was occupied by another. Marinette, who was turning redder and redder, burst up towards Adrien, grabbing his shirt collar and pulling his mouth towards his. She landed the kiss and kept it for a couple of seconds, then released him, the pair burning dark crimson. Alya was speechless, and Nino’s eyes were wide open in surprise. They hadn’t thought she would actually do it.

Meanwhile, both Marinette and Adrien were having a personal crisis. Marinette’s revolved around panic, thinking,  _ I just kissed Adrien Agreste! On the lips! Oh my god, I actually kissed Adrien! Oh my god, I think I assaulted Adrien! _

Adrien’s crisis, on the other hand, wasn’t much of a crisis. He was in heaven, in infinite bliss.  _ Marinette kissed me _ , he thought dreamily.  _ She kissed me. She grabbed my shirt and kissed me.  _ He sighed in euphoria, thinking of the feeling of Marinette’s hands guiding him to her mouth, or the soft touch of her lips on his. The only thing that snapped him out of his dream was Alya blurting out, “Who needs a room now?” to which Marinette turned somehow a darker shade of red than she currently was.

“Truth or dare, Alya?” she gritted. “And pick carefully, cause either way, you will suffer!”

~~~

“Come down for dinner, kids!”

After the kiss, truth or dare had settled down a bit (aside from what Marinette made Alya do, which everyone agreed to never speak about again). The four were currently watching a horror movie on Mari’s computer, moving it from its place on the desk onto the floor next to the lounge. Alya lay on the lounge, eyes wide in excitement as she carefully watched every scene in the movie. Nino was on it as well, behind Alya, grasping her arms so he could hide behind her quickly whenever a scary part flashed up, or a jumpscare happened.

Adrien and Marinette sat on the floor in front of the couch, shoulders almost touching, but still enough distance to seperate them. Neither of them were paying attention to the movie much, instead preferring to think about the events that had occurred that night. Both of them wanted to move closer, feeling the body of the person next to them, but neither wanted to intrude, and a small tension had occurred that they didn’t want to snap. When Sabine called, Marinette was too busy fretting, leaving Nino to have to call out, “Coming, Miss Cheng!”

Alya got up and paused the movie, slightly disappointed that she couldn’t finish it. Nino followed suit, glad that he didn’t have to sit in fear anymore. Adrien and Marinette stayed sitting until a small growl emanated from Adrien’s stomach, causing him to smile sheepishly. “Guess we better get to dinner,” he said to Marinette, to which she smiled and replied softly, “Guess we should,” breaking the awkwardness between them. They stood and headed down the trapdoor, which Nino and Alya had already gone through.

Ducking down through the trapdoor, Adrien was hit with a bustling scene. Tom and Sabine were setting the table, and the other parents and Nora, Alya’s older sister, were sat down already, making polite chatter. Gorilla sat down as well, his large frame making it so he had to sit on the end of the table. Ella and Etta, Alya’s little twin sisters, and Chris, Nino’s younger brother, were still in the living room doing whatever little kids do to entertain themselves.

The families were all grouped together, the Césaires next to the Dupain-Chengs, next to the Agrestes, next to the Lahiffes, and wrapping back around again. There was a spot in between each family for the teens to sit, where Alya and Nino were already sat. Marinette head over to help set up while Adrien took his place next to Gorilla and where Chris would sit, facing Tom’s seat. As the preparations finished up, the families made small talk with each other. The little children scurried to their seats as well, Chris taking a seat next to Adrien. “Hey, Chris,” Adrien smiled, attempting to make conversation. “How are you doing?”

“Oh, hey, Adrien,” Chris answered. “So, recently, I’ve been listening to some new stuff, and I’ve gotta say…” He then went off for the next five minutes about how rap is the next big thing and Nino was wrong about electronic, to which Adrien chuckled. Most people would be annoyed at a little kid talking about his music tastes, but Adrien was excited someone was talking to him, at a party, that he had been invited to! He’d never felt more at home.   
“Who wants dinner?” Tom bellowed, ceasing all conversation. The little kids sprung up, calling out “Me, me, me!” to which Tom let out a hearty laugh, serving his guests. “I guess Christmas came early, hmm?”

“You’re about a year too early, papa,” Marinette remarked, holding another plate and serving the guests. Adrien’s belly growled once again, and he salivated at the delicious aromas coming from the food. As soon as the dinner touched his plate and everyone sat down, he dug in.

Everyone was talking and laughing, almost hesitant to touch their food because they didn’t want the conversation to end. Aside from Adrien, who was hungry, the kids, who were eager, and Gorilla, who didn’t talk, the food slowly dwindled as the conversation grew. Soon, it was each of the families making inside jokes and chortling with each other.

Gorilla finished first. After his meal was done, he wiped his face and stood there stoic, polite but unmoving, almost like a statue. Adrien finished soon after, wiping his face and realizing that the rest weren’t close to finishing. He opened his mouth to enter a conversation, but halted at a strange feeling starting to grow in his chest. He looked around, watching the table. Nino’s dad was clapping his back, boasting to the group about his son’s musical ability. Nino turned a slight red, and he held his head down in embarrassment, an expression of pride on his face that revealed what he truly thought. Alya, Nora, and their mother watched Nino’s father articulate how much Nino worked at his passion, and Nora bumped Alya on the shoulder, whispering something in her ear. Alya turned red and blushed, scratching the back of her head. Her mother looked down at her and said something Adrien couldn’t make out, which made the brunette beam and glance at Nino, who was secretly looking at her.

He then turned to face Marinette, who was chortling at something her father had said. Tom was making jokes left and right, essentially the life of the party. Sabine smiled softly, gazing at Tom and her daughter, who was still laughing. She said something to Marinette, making her laugh even harder. Tom rubbed the top of Marinette’s head, looking fondly at her while she howled.

Adrien started to recognize the feeling. It wasn’t a good one, and it was one he had felt before, recently. It wasn’t sadness, exactly, more like… longing. A pulling, grasping longing, trying to reach something he didn’t have. It grabbed at his heart, making it drop in his chest. This scene, with all of these families, with all of these parents and his children… it was making him long for his mother.

Adrien let out a small gasp, finding it difficult to breathe. He cast a quick glance over the table, who weren’t paying much attention, wrapped up in their own bubbles. He then looked at Gorilla, who was watching him, concerned, the only one who knew what he was going through. Adrien coughed, then stood up, the chair scooting with a loud scrape. The talking died down, and everyone turned to look at him.

“I- I’m, uh, going to the bathroom,” he sniffed, pointing to Marinette’s bedroom. He took the stairs and hurried up before anyone could notice the wetness starting to well up in his eyes.

“He knows there’s no bathroom in there, right?” Nora remarked, expressing the confusion most people shared in the room. Tom tried to stand up, saying, “Here, I’ll go get him-” but was stopped by Gorilla, who had placed an arm over Tom’s chest, beckoning him to sit down.

The bodyguard knew the despair Adrien was feeling, as he had seen it for the past three years consume him during the holidays. The pain of losing Emilie, he had felt it too, although nowhere near as severe as Adrien did. Emilie was the only one kind enough to give him a job when he was just starting out, when he looked like a skinny runt. Once he had grown to a threatening size, job offers leaped at him left and right, but Gorilla had stayed with the Agrestes, partly for Emilie, and partly for the newfound affection for the little joyous boy running around the house.

There was another factor as well. Gorilla wasn’t stupid, and quickly figured out Adrien was Chat Noir after a year or so of the superhero battling akumas. He never told anyone, noticing how much happier Adrien was as Chat, and let him express his freedom in a way he couldn’t as Adrien. Additionally, Gorilla witnessed Marinette transform into Ladybug a few months ago. It was bound to happen, given how often the two transformed in broad daylight. He knew that if anyone could cheer Adrien up, it would be his lady. 

With all of this in mind, he pointed to Marinette and grunted, clearly indicating for her to go up instead. Marinette widened her eyes in surprise, stammering, “Me? I- well- okay!” while rushing out of her chair and climbing up the stairs. Tom looked up at Marinette, then back at Gorilla, a neutral expression on his face. He gave a slight nod, showing that he understood, then started the conversation up again, filling the table with cheer once more.

~~~

Marinette opened the trapdoor slightly, trying to see where Adrien was. She thought everything was going smoothly with him. He’d been so polite to the rest of the group, had struck up a conversation with Chris, and even seemed… ecstatic when she kissed him, or at least she had hoped. She couldn’t find Adrien in her room, so, deducing he had gone up to the balcony, she headed to the second set of ladders.

On her way, Tikki zipped out of nowhere, appearing in the blink of an eye. “Marinette,” she said concernedly, “what happened to Adrien? He picked something out of his bag and rushed to the balcony, crying.” She didn’t mention how she and Plagg were having a conversation when Plagg noticed Adrien’s despair and immediately went straight to his owner’s side.

“I don’t know, Tikki,” Marinette responded. “We were having a great dinner, but then he suddenly got up and left. Gorilla sent me up here to comfort him, and that’s what I’ll do, no matter what.”

“Okay, Marinette, but be careful. He seems really unhappy, more than most I’ve ever seen.” Tikki zoomed back to her hiding place, and Marinette started up the ladder. She hoped Adrien was alright, as the whole party was, essentially, for him. She didn’t want him to be dejected on New Year’s, and she would do anything to make sure he was happy, no matter how nervous she feels around him.

Marinette slowly opened the trapdoor, careful not to frighten Adrien. She peeked out, finding the blond-haired boy grabbing the railing of the balcony. He seemed to be whispering to something, or to himself, more likely. His eyes were wet, and stains were apparent on his shirt. He sniffed once, then wiped his eyes with his arms, trying unsuccessfully to keep tears from falling.

She was about to climb out of the trapdoor and comfort him when she saw a shimmer in his hand. She froze, trying to make out what the object was. Adrien was looking at it, grasping it with a firm grip, as if he was depending on it. She squinted and saw it was gold, with a small charm dangling off of it. A charm… shaped like a peacock.

Marinette climbed down the ladder as fast as she could without alerting Adrien she was there. She frantically zipped around her room, calling out, “Tikki! Tikki, where are you?”

The red kwami floated up to her, gesturing with her tiny hands for her to calm down. “What’s the matter? You didn’t even talk to him, what happened?”

Marinette took a deep breath, trying to calm down. Her thoughts were racing, and it took awhile for them to calm down enough for her to form a coherent sentence. “Tikki,” she gasped, “I think Adrien is Chat Noir.”

In her franticness, she didn’t see Tikki freeze on the spot, silently panicking that their identities were revealed too early. Tikki shook her head, instead replying to Marinette, “Wh- what? Why would you say that?”

“On Christmas, I saw Chat Noir with a peacock bracelet,” Marinette started, pacing fretfully in front of her desk. “He said it was a present from his mother, that she had given it to him before- before she passed. On the balcony, Adrien had that exact bracelet in his hands! Chat would never give that to someone else, it has to be him!”

She grabbed her head with her hands, thinking of all of her memories of Chat and replacing them with Adrien. Adrien had flirted with her after akuma battles, Adrien had convinced her to become Ladybug again, Adrien had trusted her with his life on multiple occasions, she had kissed Adrien to get rid of Dark Cupid’s spell!  _ Oh, god, _ she thought,  _ I’ve fallen in love with Adrien twice! _

“Okay,” Tikki said, interrupting Marinette’s thoughts, “whether he is Chat Noir or not, he needs your help right now. Adrien needs you.”

All thoughts of Adrien being Chat Noir vanished, replaced with a feeling of protecting her partner. It didn’t matter who Adrien was, right now, he needed her help, and she was going to give it to him. Marinette let out a breath, steeling herself, and climbed back up the ladder.

Slowly opening the trapdoor, she called out, “Adrien?” trying not to startle him. He turned back towards her, quickly wiping his tears away in a futile attempt for her not to see him this way. 

“H- hey, Marinette, I was j- just, uh, getting some air,” he choked out, clearly not. Marinette rose up out of the trapdoor until she was rushing to Adrien’s side. “What’s wrong, Adrien?” she asked softly.

“N- nothing, I just-” His breath hitched, and more tears started to well up in his eyes. Marinette grabbed his arm and leading him towards the lounge chair she had there. She sat him down carefully, taking a seat right next to him. “Adrien, you can tell me. Please, let me help,” she comforted, keeping her hand grasped onto his arm.

“I- I don’t want to bother you, you w- were having such a nice time, a- and-”

“You’re not bothering me. I want to help you, please let me.”

Adrien sniffled. He looked down at the bracelet he held, the same way, Marinette noted, that Chat did on Christmas. He took a deep breath, and started. “It’s just, when I saw you all there, your families, laughing and having fun, it reminded me… it reminded me of my mother.”

Marinette wrapped her arm around Adrien and put her head on his shoulder, trying to make him feel better. “Adrien, I can’t even begin to imagine how hard this is for you. I’m so sorry you have to go through that.” A bell of recognition rung in Adrien’s ears, and he looked over at Marinette.

“I don’t know why tragedy happens to you. You are the best person I know, you have a heart of gold even through everything you’ve been through.” She wiped away a tear threatening to spill over Adrien’s cheek.

“It’s so hard without her, Marinette.” Adrien fiddled with the bracelet, trading it between his hands. “Every year since then, during the holidays, my father abandons me. He always has an excuse, work, a meeting, an international business call. But I know that it’s just a facade. He doesn’t care anymore. He doesn’t care about me.” He wiped his face again, continuing. “Even Nathalie has become distant. Everyone I love, everyone I care about, they leave me. My mother, my father, Nathalie. I can’t do it anymore!” He burst into tears, unable to speak anymore.

Marinette grabbed his face. “Adrien, look at me,” she commanded. She turned his gaze to her so she was staring deep into his now confused eyes. There was a ferociousness in them, a passion, an urge to protect and heal. “I will never leave you. Ever. You will always have me, Adrien, do you understand? I can’t- I won’t,” she took a deep breath, gathering courage for her next words. “I will never leave my kitty alone.”

Adrien froze, processing her last words. After a few seconds, he gasped, putting a hand on Marinette’s cheek.  _ It can’t be,  _ he told himself.  _ I can’t be this lucky. _ “My- my lady?” he whispered in disbelief, unable to say more than that.

Marinette was flushed red, but she kept going. “I will always be here for you,  _ chaton _ , if you ever need anything. I love you,” she breathed, “and I will never leave you.”

That was the tipping point. The tears were now an unstoppable waterfall, coming out with no barrier whatsoever. Adrien threw his arms around Marinette, squeezing her, almost as if he was checking to see if she was real. “M- my lady, I- thank you,” he sobbed, struggling to talk between the tears. Marinette returned the embrace, pressing small circles into Adrien’s back to comfort him. “Of course,  _ mon chaton _ ,” she sniffled, tears of her own starting to fall. 

They sat there, just the two of them in the Parisian night, until Adrien finally released Marinette, calm enough to speak. “So, my lady,” he said, drying his face off with his shirt. Marinette’s heart fluttered a little at Adrien calling her “my lady” out of costume. “Marinette,” he continued, “did I hear that you loved me?”

Marinette instantly turned crimson, burying her face into Adrien’s shoulder in shame. Adrien laughed, his hand on Marinette’s head, consoling her. “It’s okay,” he sighed, a slight red tinge to his cheeks as well. “I love you too, my lady.”

~~~

Plagg had snuck out during Adrien’s breakdown and was chatting worriedly with Tikki when the two teens descended from the balcony, hand in hand, laughing like nothing had happened. At the sight of his master, the black kwami rushed to Adrien’s side, settling in his hair and purring loudly, startling the boy. Adrien righted himself, smiling softly at Plagg’s rare caring expression. 

“I suppose the secret is out, then,” Tikki sighed, sounding a tad disappointed but not at all as bad as the two had thought she would be.

“I’m sorry, Tikki, but Adrien was hurting, and I couldn’t leave him like that.” Marinette scratched the back of her head guiltily, facing down to avoid what she thought would be anger or disappointment .

Tikki gave her a long, hard look, then surprisingly broke out into a smile and zipped to Marinette, nuzzling her cheek. “Oh, Marinette, it’s okay. I’m proud of you for putting Adrien’s well-being over everything.”

“Really? Thank you, Tikki!” Marinette exclaimed, hugging the little kwami as best she could. After letting go, she spoke the question that had been on everyone’s mind: “So, what’s next?”

Plagg stirred from his spot on Adrien’s head, content with the affection he had given. “In all honesty, it was painful watching you two scramble over both of your identities over and over again. Glad that’s over,” he said curtly.

Adrien’s eyes widened. “Plagg, you knew?!” he hissed, looking back and forth between Tikki and Plagg like a madman. Tikki giggled while Plagg stood still, unflinching.

“Of course I did,” he replied casually. “I’m a deity born at the beginning of time, not some dense 17-year-old teenage boy.”

“Hey!”

Marinette laughed, thoughts of how her first year after meeting Adrien had went. “He’s got a point, kitty,” she said, ruffling his hair. He pouted, like a cat who didn’t get his fair share of treats. “When do you think I first started to like you, hmm?” she continued.

“Um,” Adrien mumbled, “a few months ago, maybe a year?”

His lady’s laugh was a twinkling, musical slice of heaven every time she released it. If only he didn’t have to come under fire every time she let the beautiful sound out.

“Silly kitty, I’ve been in love with you since the first day you came to school, since you handed me that umbrella.” Marinette smiled fondly at the memory and at Adrien, who’s hair she was still scratching.

Adrien’s eyes widened for possibly the hundredth time that night. “Oh,” he said meekly. “Oh, wow. I really am dense, aren’t I?”

There was that laugh he loved so much. “Don’t worry, I still love you and your dense skull,” Marinette chuckled, the words sending a heat shooting up Adrien’s face and chest. 

Plagg groaned. “Good god, is it always going to be this insufferable?” he complained. Adrien rolled his eyes and pulled out a Camembert from his pocket. “Does this make you feel better?” he asked, knowing the answer before he even spoke the question.

“Oh, sweet Camembert, I’ve missed you so much!” Plagg weeped. “You’re all I have in this world, I’ll never let you go.” A cough sounded behind him, and Plagg turned to see Tikki glaring at him hard. He shrunk under her gaze, adding timidly, “And also Tikki, I also have Tikki forever.”

Tikki nodded in approval. Marinette broke the spat by saying, “We have tons of cheese downstairs, if you want some.” In the back of her mind, she was curious as to why Adrien’s hand suddenly tensed in hers or why Tikki was shaking her head furiously.

Plagg, on the other hand, seemed delighted. “What cheese do you have?” he asked hopefully. “Swiss, feta, mozzarella, blue, we even have an endless amount of Camembert considering everyone gets sick at the smell-“ 

She was interrupted by the sight of Plagg floating up to Adrien, staring him dead in the eye. “Adrien,” he said with the most serious tone he could muster, “if you do not marry this girl she’s becoming Chat Noir.” He then left Adrien in a blushing, stuttering mess while he went out to grab him cheese, phasing out and back in seconds later with as much cheese as a kwami can carry. He plopped down on the desk and started absolutely destroying the pile of cheese next to him. Marinette watched him in odd fascination while Adrien watched in a combination of disgust and awe, not dissimilar to what Tikki was feeling.

“So,” Marinette started once Plagg was finished, “should we go downstairs now?” Adrien considered it for a moment, then brightened, responding, “I have a better idea. Plagg, claws out!”

The familiar green light washed over him, covering him in his magic leather suit. Marinette watched in fascination, still not used to the idea of Adrien and Chat Noir being the same person. Once Adrien’s transformation was done, he gave Marinette a grin and said, “If you will, my lady,” bowing and extending his hand.

She giggled, letting out a “Tikki, spots on!” and took his hand. “Of course, my prince,” she replied, reveling in the way his hand tightened on hers or how his body heat up and his face reddened at her words. He looked her over, noticing how the pendant was on her spot just like Christmas. Marinette noticed his gaze and blushed, mumbling, “I hid it under my shirt to make sure you wouldn’t recognize me if you saw me in public, but I guess that doesn’t matter too much now, huh?”

Adrien simply smiled, the smile reaching wider than he had ever smiled before. He raised her hand up, planting a soft kiss on it before letting her go. Taking advantage of her sudden frozen state, he laughed and called out, “ _ Cat- _ ch me if you can!” He sprung up through the upper trapdoor, escaping into the night with a whoop of delight. Marinette, who was almost the color of her suit, grinned and quickly followed suit, making sure her kitty was never too far from her.

~~~

The families were starting to gather around the television, switching the channel to one that showed the Champs-Élysées and the humongous crowd growing around it. The kids sat closest to the TV, eyes glued to the screen in anticipation and excitement. Alya and Nino sat on the floor as well, Nino with his back on the couch for support, Alya snuggled inside Nino’s arms right in front of him. Alya rested her head on Nino’s chest, to which he responded by placing his chin on her hair and sighing contentedly. 

The Césaires and Lahiffes took their respective couches, cooing over how cute Alya and Nino looked on the floor. Nino blushed slightly while Alya just smirked, flicking his nose affectionately. Gorilla stood in the back, like a guardian watching over everyone, mainly because space was limited on the couches. Tom and Sabine took their own couch, noticing two empty spots that Tom had reserved next to them.

“You think we should get them?” Tom wondered, asking his wife. Sabine simply chuckled and responded, “Let the kids have their fun. They deserve a few moments together,” moving so she was right under Tom’s arm.

Tom smiled and nodded. “I guess so. Adrien looked like he could use some alone time. Besides, maybe this will be the thing that finally gets them together.”

“I hope. They love each other too much not to show it, it’s clear from how they act.”

“Yeah, reminds me of how we were back when we were kids.” Sabine blushed slightly at his words, memories of Parisian rooftops, starlit nights, and sparkling laughter filling her mind.

Of course Tom and Sabine knew their daughter was Ladybug. It was a tad difficult to hide your identity from your parents who were also superheroes in their day and age. But while Sabine’s team was exceptional and knew each other well enough to predict their thoughts, the current Ladybug and Chat Noir were by far the best she’d ever seen. She remembered the day of Stoneheart’s replication, how her heart swelled with pride at the vision of her Marinette telling off Hawkmoth. And when she found out Marinette’s identity, it wasn’t hard to connect the dots to Chat Noir being Adrien as well. Her and Tom, the previous holders of the ladybug and black cat miraculouses, fell in love during their era, sure, but it was nowhere near the love she could read from Adrien and Marinette’s interactions, both in and out of the suits. She smiled at the thought, glad that her little girl had found someone who would return the immense love she had to give.

“I wonder where they are now, though?” Tom questioned, interrupting Sabine’s thoughts. She thought for a moment, then responded knowingly, “I have a slight idea…”

~~~

Ladybug landed gracefully on the Eiffel Tower, the run leaving her hair frazzled and her lungs slightly out of breath. She glared at Chat, who was sitting on the same beam, a few meters away from her, with a wide smirk. “Guess my speed was just too  _ fur _ -midable for you, my lady,” he grinned, a mischievous look in his eyes.

“You’re so lucky you’re cute,” she fumed, taking a seat next to him on the beam. “Why’d we come here, anyways?”

“Well,” Chat replied, facing outwards, “I just thought you might’ve wanted to see this.” He gestured out to the city, and Ladybug gasped in awe.

There, in clear view, was the Champs-Élysées in all of its lit up glory. The lights twinkled bright enough to be clear from all the way across the Seine, and a giant number showing the new year was displayed on it. Spotlights shot up into the sky, beaming up so all of Paris could see them. Hundreds, if not thousands of people were lined up on the street next to it, squeezed together so that from the Eiffel Tower, they all looked like one huge blob of people.

“Chat- Adrien- this is- this is beautiful,” Ladybug stammered, a hand covering her wide open mouth.

“Not nearly as beautiful as you,” he breathed, turning his gaze towards her and gathering the courage to scoot up next to her so that their shoulders were touching. Ladybug looked back at him, a broad smile on her face, which was a dark shade of red. In his embarrassment, he looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. Ladybug caught his arm, however, and slid her hand up under it met his. She intertwined her fingers in his, pressing her thumb into his hand. He blushed fiercely at this, marveling at how she was keeping her composure.

In truth, she wasn’t. During all of this, her mind was racing, alarm bells and sirens ringing in her head. Her affection for him in the moment, however, was too much to keep inside her, and so she grabbed Chat’s hand, hoping that would show him how she felt. She prayed he would understand, because everything she was feeling couldn’t possibly be put into words.

In her crisis, she didn’t realize that he was thinking the same thing. How lucky he was to have her, the two most important people in his life, be the same person. How lucky he was to not have to beat himself over loving two different girls anymore, because he could pour all of that love into one amazing, sweet, beautiful girl. His love for Marinette, for Ladybug, was overflowing, so much so that he felt life he would die and go to heaven if anything else romantic happened.

Ladybug was the first one to break the silence that had come over them. “So, um, Chat- I mean, Adrien,” she started, “I- I don’t know, I’m just really glad we found each other. I know how hard the holidays are for you, and, well, I’m happy that I can be a part of it now.”

Just when he thought he couldn’t love her anymore, she had to go and say something like that. “You’ve done so much for me these past few weeks Marinette, more than most have done in months, or even years.” He tried to put all of his admiration and adoration into the look they shared. “You picked me up when I was down, you’ve seen me at my worst, and you’re still here with me, right now. I feel like I need to do something for you, too, given how much you’ve done for me.”

“Oh, kitty,” Ladybug replied, “you don’t need to do anything for me. Being you, by my side, is enough. Being my partner is more than enough.” She brought her gloved hand up to his cheek, rubbing her thumb across his skin. “You are amazing just the way you are, both sides of you.”

Tears threatened to escape from Chat’s eyelids, so he instead smiled fondly, leaning into her touch. “I love you, bugaboo,” he murmured.

“I love you too,  _ mon chaton _ ,” she replied breathlessly.

They sat enjoying each other's company for a moment, until Chat noticed the countdown of 20 seconds displaying on the Champs-Élysées. He took a deep breath, gathering the courage to do what he’d really intended to do on the tower.

_ 20. _

“So, bugaboo, ever heard of a New Year’s kiss?” he asked with fake bravado, secretly aflame with nervousness like he had never felt before.

_ 15. _

Ladybug’s mouth opened into a little ‘o’, a blush appearing on her face. A smile slowly stretched along her face, and she teased, “It’s not on my memory, maybe a little reminder will help jog it?”

_ 10. _

As the crowd in the distance started chanting the numbers, a grin grew on Chat’s face, and his confidence bolstered.

_ 9. _

“I guess I can do that, my lady.”

_ 8. _

They leaned in slightly, nervousness making them hesitant, but their love making them eager.

_ 7. _

_ She looks so beautiful _ , Adrien thought, staring into her sparkling eyes.

_ 6. _

_ He looks so handsome, _ Marinette thought, staring into his twinkling eyes.

_ 5. _

Marinette lifted her other hand to his face, giving him the indication she was ready.

_ 4. _

Adrien put a hand on her neck, pulling her closer than he ever imagined she could be.

_ 3. _

Their faces were centimeters apart, lips ghosting the feeling of the other’s.

_ 2. _

“Happy New Year, Adrien.”

_ 1. _

“Happy New Year, Marinette.”

~~~

No doubt, the year had been tough for them. Having a crush on two people, Hawkmoth’s akumas, and schoolwork, it would be enough to make a person break.

But that was the key. One person would absolutely break, but it wasn’t just one person. They were a team. They had each other, masks on or off, the entire way.

And as Paris lit up in delight from the new year, as their families celebrated in front of a TV, as a man stood over his wife, promising another year dedicated to bringing her back, and as the two teenagers started something beautiful on a tower overlooking the city they loved so much, one thing was for certain.

They would never be alone again.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it! Comments are appreciated and I'll try to get back to most of them.


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